Gavaskar resigns from ICC

Dubai, May 8 (IANS) Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar Thursday resigned as chairman of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Cricket Committee, ending his 14-year association with the panel that deals purely with playing issues. The ICC in a statement said Gavaskar’s successor would be selected later.

“We are indebted to the work Sunil has put into his role as chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee. He has brought his vast experience of the game to bear, not only over the eight years of his chairmanship but also the six years prior to that, when he was a delegate on the same committee,” said ICC’s acting chief executive officer David Richards.

Gavaskar’s position became untenable after he criticised some of ICC’s decisions in his newspaper columns and as a television commentator. Recently, ICC asked him to choose between his responsibilities with the ICC and his media commitments.

Gavaskar chose to leave the ICC Wednesday, a day after chairing this year’s meeting here.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the eight years I have held the role, which is an honorary position, and it has been extremely fulfilling to be able to give back to the game through that role,” Gavaskar said in the statement.

“However, with more and more cricket being played it has become clear that it is not possible for me to do justice to two jobs, the chairmanship of the ICC Cricket Committee and my media commitments.”

Gavaskar claimed that he foresaw a conflict of interest in his roles and promptly told the ICC about it.

“I envisaged the potential for this sort of issue two years ago and intimated then that I was not able to continue in the role but when I was asked to do so I was honoured to be re-elected,” he said.

“Now, however, it is clear I cannot combine both roles and, therefore, I am relinquishing the chair of the ICC Cricket Committee.”

ICC said Gavaskar, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, arrived at his decision in the wake of a meeting of the ICC Board in March here. At that meeting the Board discussed the potential for his conflict of interest.

That was conveyed to Gavaskar when he met ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed in Dubai later that same month. It was agreed that Gavaskar would chair this year’s ICC Cricket Committee and would then convey his views to the ICC, something he has now done.

Richardson said ICC would use Gavaskar’s inputs. “Having someone of Sunil’s stature involved has to be of benefit to the game and given the ICC’s lengthy relationship with him we hope we can still utilise his knowledge in some other capacity in the future.”